Annual Day of Service and Reflection Marks 10 Years of Giving to Community

More than 300 employees, student volunteers to lend a hand across the South Side

WHAT:

Hundreds of University of Chicago Medicine staff, faculty members, students, their family and friends will mobilize across Chicago's South Side to tackle a host of community projects as part of the 10th annual Day of Service and Reflection (DOSAR). From cleaning and painting community spaces to weeding gardens and stocking food pantry shelves, volunteers will take on tasks large and small at more than 20 sites in the 10 neighborhoods that the medical campus serves. DOSAR has a decade-long legacy of fostering community engagement by bringing together resources to meet the needs of South Side neighborhoods.

WHEN:

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2012

WHO:

More than 300 volunteers, including 12 from the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, are expected to participate in DOSAR. Organizers say DOSAR, the brainchild of First Lady Michelle Obama when she was an executive at the medical center, is one of the campus' most anticipated annual events. The event attracts increasing number of participants each year, growing from 35 volunteers a decade ago to more than 200 last year.

"The University of Chicago Medicine's Day of Service and Reflection is a critical event that will make a positive impact in our South Side community," said Wendy DuBoe, chief executive officer at United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. "United Way is proud to leverage our network of volunteers to participate in this day of service."

WHY:

Many nonprofit community service providers are facing greater economic challenges than ever before. The need for community cooperation is critical in meeting their missions. The University of Chicago Medicine has a longstanding tradition of community service. DOSAR is a part of the University of Chicago Medicine's Urban Health Initiative, created to bring together medical and community partners to improve health and access to quality care for the South Side of Chicago.